ABBOTSFORD, British Columbia – A woman serving a life sentence for the murder of her eight-year-old daughter has died in custody at the Fraser Valley Institution in Abbotsford, British Columbia.
Lisa Batstone, 50, was found guilty of second-degree murder four years ago for the suffocation death of her daughter, Teagan Batstone, whose body was discovered in the back of Batstone’s car.
During the trial, evidence was presented suggesting that Batstone had committed the killing to spite her ex-husband, Gabe Batstone. At the sentencing, Supreme Court Justice Catherine Murray emphasized the need to send a strong message to warring parents who might use their children as weapons.
The court heard that Batstone, who was 41 at the time of the murder, held a heavy plastic bag over Teagan’s nose and mouth for four to five minutes at their home in Surrey, B.C. Batstone then attempted to take her own life using two smaller plastic bags, but was unable to go through with it.
An internal investigation into Batstone’s death is being conducted by the Correctional Service Canada (CSC), as is the policy with all in-custody deaths. The Abbotsford Police Department and B.C. Coroners Service have also been notified.
No information has been released regarding the cause of Batstone’s death. She passed away on Jan. 1, according to the CSC news release. Her lawyers claimed she had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and was suffering from anxiety at the time of the murder, but Murray stated that those factors did not diminish her moral culpability in planning and committing the heinous act.
Lisa Batstone’s death in custody brings closure to a tragic case of filicide that shocked the community and sparked discussions about mental health, custody battles, and the protection of children in such challenging family situations.